Photo: 230 mph, 8-Wheeled Electric Car May be On Sale Soon

ecogeek ^ | Tuesday, 30 December 2008

[JoeProBono]

If the Tesla Roadster just isn't enough for you...not fast enough, not weird enough, and not expensive enough, then you should probably start looking out for Eliica's. Just two of these Japanese peculio-mobiles currently exist, but the Eliica team is looking to get corporate sponsorship to produce 200 of them.

And, if they get that sponsorship, you'll be able to pick one up for the low, low price of $255,000.

Now, I know what you're thinking...why eight wheels? Well, very simply, so it can go faster. Traditionally, more rolling resistance would be a bad thing, but not if each of the wheels has its own 60 KW electric motor.

[JoeProBono]

[GreyFriar]

Tesla Ping

[tutstar]

gnip...

[Tarpon]

I wonder if they realize batteries have about 1/11 the energy storage of a gallon of gasoline. Maybe that’s why the eight wheels?

Why exactly does it need eight wheels?

[bpjam]

yeah, that ought to fit into a parking space at Best Buy....

Wake me when there is an electric car which makes sense. I’ll be happy to buy one when I don’t have to pay for a lifetimes worth of gas in advance in the purchase price.

[weegee]

Electic bills are up too.

And if everyone has to charge up the car every day, they will go up even higher.

But we will be “off” gasoline, except for our planes, and trucks, and police cars, etc etc.

[P8riot]

It’s fugly!

[KarlInOhio]

Traditionally, more rolling resistance would be a bad thing, but not if each of the wheels has its own 60 KW electric motor.

8 x 60,000W = 644 horsepower. Me likey.

[sfvgto]

tri-color paint with spinners and you have the pimp@ss ride from hell....this is a ghetto machine all the way, and it takes alot longer to steal 8 wheels

[RexBeach]

Hmmm. Sounds like a great care to be late in!

And, it’s a bargain. A new Bentley costs somewhere around $350,000.00(and it’s only got FOUR wheels).

[TonyStark]

Gerry Anderson Motors presents the "Life Imitating Art" line up:

[Kenny Bunk]

If I use the Purple Fog under-the-car-lights, will it run the batteries down? Also, Jowe, I won’t get no respeckt in da hood if my ride you know like HUMS.

[rightwingextremist1776]

All that weight from the batteries no doubt....

[Schnucki]

The goal of the team building the car at Keio University is to beat the world EV speed record, currently set at 400 mph.

[Tarpon]

Wouldn’t eight wheels hamper that goal?

One of the first things you learn in engineering school — Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

[RobRoy]

That thing looks like it was inspired by the 1960’s Citreon.

Especially the roofline.

[Scythian]

And we’re making cars that parallel park for us, go figure ...

[Schnucki]

:)

Traditionally, more rolling resistance would be a bad thing, but not if each of the wheels has its own 60 KW electric motor.

Sometimes it's fun to see what can be done!

[ArrogantBustard]

Traditionally, more rolling resistance would be a bad thing, but not if each of the wheels has its own 60 KW electric motor.

It pays to read the article.

[InvisibleChurch]

The car that saved Detroit.